Mereja.Forum

[eritrea]

Oromo rebels and Ethiopian officials hold talks

Talks between the Ethiopian government and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLA) rebel group have resumed in Tanzania.

Significantly, OLA commander Kumsa Diriba has joined Ethiopian government and military officials in the talks for the time.

A previous round of talks between the OLA and the government ended without agreement, and fighting continued.

The regional bloc, Igad, which is headed by Ethiopia’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs Workneh Gebeyehu is believed to be among key mediators.

#Ethiopia

@africaintel

[eritrea]

Heavy fighting in historic Ethiopian town

Ethiopian government forces and local militias have clashed in the historic town of Lalibela in the volatile Amhara region, residents have told.

They described the fighting as intense and said it included the use of heavy weapons.

A plane due to land at the airport on Wednesday morning failed to do so, the residents said.

Lalibela is home to rock-hewn churches built in the 13th Century and are registered as Unesco world heritage sites, making it a popular tourist destination.

In August, militias briefly took control of the town’s airport.

#Ethiopia

@africaintel

[eritrea]

Militiamen retreated from the holy city of Lalibela as the Ethiopian army returns

Ethiopia's federal army regained control of the Orthodox holy town of Lalibela on Thursday, following the overnight departure of militiamen who had largely seized it the previous day, residents said.

Members of the Amhara Fano "self-defense" militia "left during the night. The federal army is in control of the town", residents told. "Until early this morning, the Fano controlled most of the town. When we woke up, they were finishing leaving town."

"We can see the Ethiopian Federal Armed Forces deployed in the streets and no further clashes were audible" they said the day after a day in which gunfire and explosions rocked the town.